Solar-Powered Liquid Fuel Production from CO2

In addition to carbon monoxide, methanol is another valuable material that can be made from CO₂. This energy-dense liquid is traditionally synthesized from fossil fuels in a carbon-intensive process, one that is hard to achieve in remote areas lacking the infrastructure. Making methanol from only CO₂, water, and solar power, on the other hand, could bring energy abundance and independence to off-grid parts of the world. As with efforts to make carbon monoxide, the trick is finding the right catalyst. This research team has already synthesized methanol from CO₂ using an innovative material made of cobalt phthalocyanine and carbon nanotubes. With this seed grant, they aim to refine their materials to improve efficiency of the CO₂-to-methanol conversion, plus prepare to apply for grants from federal agencies that are already interested in the technology.